Today was one of those days, richly rewarded for just getting out there, whatever the weather.
As a raptor fanatic, the prospect of a potentially twichable Pallid Harrier was the main reason for my long trek from Sheffield to the Lincolnshire coast. The journey was slow and arduous and I wasn't delighted to arrive at Gib about 11:30 to be welcomed by a heavy downpour, accompanied by blustery wind and a low mist which restricted viewing and was blowing moisture onto my objective lens causing fogging. With the forecast set to deteriorate during the day my expectations of raptor sightings over the salt marsh sunk to zero as I sheltered in Lil's Hut and settled for a sandwich and coffee. No sooner than I'd finished lunch, it had briefly stopped raining and brightened considerably. A faint shaft of hazy sunshine encouraged myself and 3 other birders out of the Hut to scan the salt marsh and almost immediately, a male Hen Harrier was seen, then further out, a Marsh Harrier, then a Buzzard which as I followed it low over the marsh, flushed up a ringtail. As it swept closer, joy, it was the juv Pallid! We watched for about 15mins as it flew north distantly then turned back south passing close by and giving excellent views. It even sat on a high tussock in the Marsh in full view for a few minutes. At this I would gladly have returned home satisfied but the best was really still to come. The rain soon returned. It was set in this time and nearly 3 hours or more passed sat in the Hut seeing very little. Fortunately the front finally passed and around 15:30 most of the Marsh was visible again as the mist lifted. A distant Kestrel signalled the start of an amazing last raptor hour or so of daylight over the marsh.
Male Hen again
Then 2 Marsh Harriers
That Buzzard was back
Then the Pallid....and a Peregrine stooping behind it scattering everything out on the mud
Stay on the Pallid, then a Merlin hunting behind the Pallid chasing flushed pipits.....stay on the Pallid....its down......no it's up again...flushed by a SE Owl.....watch it fly north to edge of the Marsh.....its down but still viewable.....whilst its on the ground unbelievably another ringtail lands right by it....surely it can't be another Pallid!!!.....it isn't..... Both birds take to the air .....circling and quartering in the same scope field of view.....perfect juv Hen vs juv Pallid field comparison. I'm in birding heaven!!!....the two seperate......stay on the Pallid....it comes a little closer......its joined by another different ringtail Hen and then the male Hen again as well. Then all of a sudden the action stops as the light really begins to fade. By this stage all others have departed and I trudge back to the car park alone along the water logged path to the chorus of hundreds of pinkfeet flying to roost. As I pass the old visitor centre a sparrowhawk dashes down the creek into the gloom. Ninth raptor species for the day.
Could easy have stayed in today, late start, long journey, poor weather etc. But took a chance that paid off big time. Probably spent the best part of 5 hours travelling in the car for about 2 hours of rain/fog free birding......but was it worth it......??......you bet it was!!!!!!
Raptors
1 PALLID HARRIER
3 Hen Harrier (1 adult male + 2 ringtails)
2 Marsh Harrier
1 Kestrel
1 Peregrine
1 Merlin
1 Common Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Short-eared Owl
As a raptor fanatic, the prospect of a potentially twichable Pallid Harrier was the main reason for my long trek from Sheffield to the Lincolnshire coast. The journey was slow and arduous and I wasn't delighted to arrive at Gib about 11:30 to be welcomed by a heavy downpour, accompanied by blustery wind and a low mist which restricted viewing and was blowing moisture onto my objective lens causing fogging. With the forecast set to deteriorate during the day my expectations of raptor sightings over the salt marsh sunk to zero as I sheltered in Lil's Hut and settled for a sandwich and coffee. No sooner than I'd finished lunch, it had briefly stopped raining and brightened considerably. A faint shaft of hazy sunshine encouraged myself and 3 other birders out of the Hut to scan the salt marsh and almost immediately, a male Hen Harrier was seen, then further out, a Marsh Harrier, then a Buzzard which as I followed it low over the marsh, flushed up a ringtail. As it swept closer, joy, it was the juv Pallid! We watched for about 15mins as it flew north distantly then turned back south passing close by and giving excellent views. It even sat on a high tussock in the Marsh in full view for a few minutes. At this I would gladly have returned home satisfied but the best was really still to come. The rain soon returned. It was set in this time and nearly 3 hours or more passed sat in the Hut seeing very little. Fortunately the front finally passed and around 15:30 most of the Marsh was visible again as the mist lifted. A distant Kestrel signalled the start of an amazing last raptor hour or so of daylight over the marsh.
Male Hen again
Then 2 Marsh Harriers
That Buzzard was back
Then the Pallid....and a Peregrine stooping behind it scattering everything out on the mud
Stay on the Pallid, then a Merlin hunting behind the Pallid chasing flushed pipits.....stay on the Pallid....its down......no it's up again...flushed by a SE Owl.....watch it fly north to edge of the Marsh.....its down but still viewable.....whilst its on the ground unbelievably another ringtail lands right by it....surely it can't be another Pallid!!!.....it isn't..... Both birds take to the air .....circling and quartering in the same scope field of view.....perfect juv Hen vs juv Pallid field comparison. I'm in birding heaven!!!....the two seperate......stay on the Pallid....it comes a little closer......its joined by another different ringtail Hen and then the male Hen again as well. Then all of a sudden the action stops as the light really begins to fade. By this stage all others have departed and I trudge back to the car park alone along the water logged path to the chorus of hundreds of pinkfeet flying to roost. As I pass the old visitor centre a sparrowhawk dashes down the creek into the gloom. Ninth raptor species for the day.
Could easy have stayed in today, late start, long journey, poor weather etc. But took a chance that paid off big time. Probably spent the best part of 5 hours travelling in the car for about 2 hours of rain/fog free birding......but was it worth it......??......you bet it was!!!!!!
Raptors
1 PALLID HARRIER
3 Hen Harrier (1 adult male + 2 ringtails)
2 Marsh Harrier
1 Kestrel
1 Peregrine
1 Merlin
1 Common Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Short-eared Owl
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